Warning: Spoilers ahead. Chi Nguyen knew the fate of her character, Jeanette Dao, before even stepping foot onto the set of Prime Video’s new young adult series The Wilds, which made the role all that more fun!
“I remember receiving the audition brief back in 2018 and got so captivated when reading the pilot script that I audibly gasped to myself when I read up to the part where she collapses and passes away — it was a total plot twist I didn’t see coming!” the actress told J-14 exclusively. “I really think Jeanette’s journey was so beautifully written and executed. I had so much fun playing her and being a part of this magical world!”
The show — which hit the streaming service on December 11 and was just renewed for a second season — followed the story of a group of teenage girls who are forced to survive after a plane crash strands them on a deserted island. What they don’t know is that the entire crash was a planned experiment, and Jeanette was in on the entire thing before her death.
“I kind of played 3 different character portrayals throughout the whole series,” Chi explained, referring to Jeanette (which turned out to be an alter ego), the character Linh Bach in flashback scenes and what the actress called “the transitioning phase between the two.”
“All of these varying dimensions and layers really make the character one-of-a-kind, which was such a great artistic challenge for me to take on,” she gushed. “I came in with a lot of ideas, and when working with such a great team and a great script, everything just clicked and came together so well. It was a great learning experience!”
In Chi’s eyes, Jeanette’s untimely and accidental death in the show’s first episode “signifies an immediate danger to the experiment.”
“Jeanette was meant to be with the girls at all times to make sure everything goes according to plan, therefore without her presence, it would be very easy for things to go haywire,” she told J-14. “But on a deeper level, it kind of became the very first sacrifice that has been made under this scheme, in the name of progress and revolution.”
Aside from Chi, The Wilds‘ first season starred Sarah Pidgeon, Mia Healey, Helena Howard, Shannon Berry, Sophia Ali, Erana James and Jenna Clause. When all the girls were together on set, the actress remembered it as an “awesome” experience.
“We are all good friends who really enjoy each other’s company!” Chi said about the cast. “Everyone was always there for one another, cheering each other on and bringing their absolute A-game. [It] made everything worthwhile and unforgettable.”
Now that there’s officially a season 2 in the works, Chi hopes to see “the girls working together again” in the upcoming episodes.
“Perhaps they will come up with an escape plan of sorts,” she predicted. “I hope fans will keep following our journey and be excited about what’s to come of the beautiful and important story of The Wilds!”
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